England came out swinging against Croatia in their World Cup 2026 Group L opener on June 17, and for the first 30 minutes it looked less like a competitive international fixture and more like a training exercise with an audience. Thomas Tuchel’s side controlled possession, suffocated the midfield, and left Luka Modric looking for pockets of space that simply didn’t exist.
The match, played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, eventually turned into something far more dramatic than that early dominance suggested. England led 3-2 at the 67-minute mark in a game that swung between comfortable cruise and white-knuckle chaos.
Kane and Bellingham deliver in Texas
Harry Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 12th minute. Croatia pulled one back through Martin Baturina in the 36th minute. Kane struck again from open play in the 42nd minute to restore England’s cushion. Petar Musa then found the net deep into first-half stoppage time, at 45+5 minutes, cutting the deficit back to one. Jude Bellingham restored some breathing room two minutes into the second half, his 47th-minute strike pushing England to 3-2.
Modric’s quiet afternoon tells a bigger story
